Big pay day for Jessie Vargas against Kell Brook in Sheffield

Bob Westerdale

Kell Brook’s next opponent, Jessie Vargas, will receive a career-best purse of $1.7m dollars (around £1.19m) when the pair meet at Bramall Lane.

Details of the Sheffield IBF welterweight ruler’s finances have not been made public, but presumably Brook’s fee will be in the same ball park area.

While it seems neither fighter have actually signed the paperwork sealing the unification clash - the American is the WBO champion - promoters Matchroom insist that it is only the date that needs rubber-stamping.

Until Sheffield United’s fixtures are released, we won’t know if the fight will be held on August 20, 27 or September 3.

Promoter Eddie Hearn has recently spoken about the possibility of Brook moving up a weight division.

He told IFL TV: “We really want to have the big fights at welterweight, and try to unify before moving up.

Kid Galahad: waiting to find out who he will be fighting in Manchester next month

“An offer (reportedly £600,000) made to Kell (to fight Liverpool’s Liam Smith) was not nearly enough. It’s less than what he’s been earning.”

Of the Vargas deal, Hearn said: “We’re looking at August 27 or September 3, but we don’t expect many problems with the deal.

“We think Vargas has come out and said he’s signed his deal, but what that means is he’s agreed with Top Rank what he’s getting for the fight. We’re not having problems with that fight. I think September 3 is a better time to do an event than the end of August.”

Meanwhile, Brook’s Ingle stablemate Kid Galahad is awaiting news of the identity of his next opponent, whom he will meet at the Manchester Arena on July 9. It will be his second outing since returning to the sport from a drugs ban.

Galahad (Abdul Barry Awad) stayed in shape during his exile. “I just got on with it,” said Galahad. “Things like this happen in life and you have to deal with it.

“People are sometimes out for two or three years through injury. They can’t train or do anything for a lot of that time. But my situation wasn’t like that. I was still able to keep ticking over. Even the great Muhammad Ali was out the ring for three years and he came back to do amazing things.

“I didn’t go on lads’ holidays or start messing around and drinking. I just stayed in the gym and kept training.”